Thread: Butler Cavendish with boiled leather scales

Its a razor I sniped from the bay.
It will take a good amount of elbow grease but it looks like a fairly meaty 6/8 wedge so it might turn out well.
Not sure how to treat the scales. Some shoe polish maybe?



Never saw one like that before.
Seems Fairly old.

nice score. i would use neatsfoot oil on the leather though

That should turn out very nice. It looks like it has the British broad arrow stamp on the tang indicating it was government issue.

Bob

Wow, that's a heavy grind

After some sanding and more sanding and deeper sanding and oiling too here's an update on my Butler cleanup.
The steel of that razor is really hard. Honing it was a really long process.

Thanks to bombay for the neatsfoot oil recomendation. I used just a bit of it on a Q-tip : I was afraid that too much would have soften the leather and would defeat the purpose of stiff boiled leather.

Anyways, here's some pictures.



I'll try it tomorow for my sunday shave.

nice one, the leather looks brand new!

I got a very similar Razor yesterday, marked G. Butler Sheffield Cavendish and with an I and an Arrow (i read that this would mark a military / government Razor, does the I indicate India?).
Scales are made off Horn, the Blade seems not much used and is wedge.

With the stampings on the scales it is without question Military

Although I can't say for sure...without actually seeing the razor close up.... I think those scales are made from 'Gutta Percha (AKA) Vulcanite', rather than as you suggest 'boiled leather'. Do a search here on SRP for gutta percha / vulcanite and you will see some more examples of these types of scales.

WP34

I'm pretty stoked about the original post. I have the same razor and have never liked the scales because they shrink and swell so easily. I never knew what they were made from but haven't done anything to them but had intended to some day. Now I know, just oil them. Mine are also in very good condition, apparently just thirsty.